Stopper



March 1.9, 1929.

H. L. @ENTRY sToPPER i Filed Sept. '7, 1926 HHWHHHH z2 l v Patented Mar. 19, 1929.

UNITED STATES rissa! PAT `Application filed September 7,1326. Serial No. 133,832.

The present invention relates in general to a valve, and more in particular to a .valve-1 like instrumentality herein termed a stopper, by means of which a how ofsubstance through a pipe line may be arrestedv without the necessity of actually severing'the pipe itself. The invention also includes a method'for stopping the flow of materials in pipe lines, the method being preferably practiced by means of the stopper herein described. Y

It is frequently necessary or desirable to stop the flow of liquid or gaseous substances in a pipeline in a regionwhere there is no regularly provided valve. 'Such in,- stances may arise where itis necessary to make minor adjustments or repairs, or where leaks develop which must be cared for, and in a number of other instances whichwill readily present themselves to the mind 'of a person interested in this line of endeavor.`

One of the principal objects of the presentinvention isto provide means whereby the low of substance through a pipe may be arrested at any` selected point.' Y y Another object of the inventionl isfto provide means whereby the How of al substance through a pipe may be prevented4 withfa minimum loss of such substance flowing through said pipe. l

A further object is to provide a method whereby the low of a'substance through a pipe may be arrested at a given point without the necessity of preliminarily shutting off the flow of such substance by the operal ytion of a regularly provided valve.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a novel instrumentality adapted to be inserted into a pipe` for the purpose of providing a closure for the pipe to prevent the flow of material therethrough.

A further objectof the invention is the provision of a novel closure member having unique structural features comprising sec-v tors and a wedge-likepart adapted to stop. a pipe by insertion thereinto, the wedge-like member co-operating with the sectors to provide a transverse barrier in such pipe. i vIn accornplishing theobjects of the lin.- vention a narrow transverse slot is cnt in the top of lthe pipe, at the place where the How is to be arrested, and two flat sectors of discs a 12 is provided with a packing of any suit- (provided for the purpose) are inserted through theslot in the top of the pipe. A

wedge-like section of material designed to cooperate thetwo sectors'is then eX- 'r 'Price'.j

tended through vrthe slot and forced dow-n I along the edges of the two sectors, thereby forcingithe two sectors against lthe interior surface of the pipe. Transverse stay bolts are extended through the pipe and prevent the force of the substance ifiowing Vthrough the pipe from dislodging the three pieces inserted through theY slot. Any conventional means, such asa gasket, is then ,einployed to minimize the leakage through thetransverse slot. 1 f

Other objects and features ofthe yinven-4 tion will become apparent from ka considera,- tion of the following detailed description, taken with the accompanyingl drawing, wherein f Y y i, H Figure 1 isfa longitudinal sectional view through a pipe line in which a stopper or vstop member embodying thema-in features of `thepresent invention .is in use;

Figure 2 is a sectional view taken on the line 2 2 of Figure 1 looking in the direction ofthe arrows and showing the stopper-itself l in full view, a portion thereof,1however, be-

ing .broken away for purposesv of illustration; and I 'Y Figure 3 is a plan sectional-view taken' on the line 3 3` of Figure 2. v v p a .The method of providingfa-closure will be fully understood by reference to the equip- Aso i ment here described and with which it mayy y be practiced. f

f Referring now to the accompanying. draw-iv l ing wherein like 4reference characters are einployed .to l designate similar' members throughout the several views, the invention is shownjappl'ied tothe usual form of large iron pipe 10. Thevstopper itself comprises'v disc sectors 11 and 12 and. a wedge section 13 intermediate the two sectors 11 and 12.

Thesectors -lltand 12have upper eXtension portions designated 14 and 15 respec- '.tively, whereby said Vsectors may be conveniently handled fwhen placed in a pipe line in which a somewhathigh pressure is maintained, or in which the normal rate of flow of a substance.,therethrough is quite rapid. i In the upper portion ofthe wedgeshaped member 13 is an aperture jl-whereby withdrawal of said wedge inemberfis facilitated. I Y' Y y The outside portion of the sectors 11 and ablesubstancc, suoli as lead 17, in which case it is preferableto form a groove in the periphery of the sectors ,-11 and 12 whereby a tongue and groove effect between the lead packing and the sectors may be obtained. Preferably, the bottom portion of the wedge 13 is also provided with packing 18.

The inner straight edges of the sectors 11 and12 are provided with grooves as shown,` A

'length to about one-sixth the circumferenceV in Figure 3 whereby continuous groove-like projections 2() and r21'on the wedge 13 may produce ay close association between the members.

To facilitate retention of the gas stopper properwithin the pipe line, a plurality of stay bolts 22, 22a and 23 may be arranged 'transversely of lthe pipe 10'and abut the sectors 11 and 12 and the wedgev section 13 in the manner shown in VFigure 3. The stay bolts 22, 22a and 23 are secured in properly I provided apertures in the side of the pipe vided in the manner shown.

10 by means of ordinaryy nuts` 24, and since said stay bolts 22 and 23 maybe secured inV a position away from fthe center of the'A pipe 10, nut leveling members 25 may be pro- These members 25' permit `a close engagement of the associated nuts 24 whereby the stay bolts 22 and 23may be secured tightly in place.

1n order to-prevent too great' loss of the i substance flowing in the pipe through the slot therein, a gasket 26r` of rubber or other suitable/materialA is provided, said' gasket being maintained in place by gasket clamp 27, held in firm engagement thereagainst by means of a U-shaped bolt-28 and nuts 29'.

' the wedge AThe vU-shaped bolt 28 is sligntly voffset to permit location of the nuts 24 whereby stay bolts22, 22a`and 23 may be secured in close` engagement with the sectors 11 and 12 and member 13. Other suitable means may be provided, however, to. obtain this same result.`

The particular disclosure of the invention Y in the drawing may be departed from conl siderably, Vwhile the' same general subJect matteris maintained. When using eXtension members 14 and 5151i:l is more or less obvious that the gasket 26 and gasket clamp 27 must be put in position preliminary to the insertion of the sectors 11 and 12 and the-wedge member 13'.

isV also contemplated vthat the extensions 14 and 15 can be formed separately from the sectors and securedl thereon by" 'means of long machine bolts or inany'other suitable Away. In this case the sectors may be placedin position and secured by driving lthe wedge member into place, after which the extension portions 14 and 15 on Y the upper,` part of the wedge member could bel removed, thereby permitting a gasket to be fitted into the slot in the pipe and entirely sealing the same. y 1

The' usual operation of the device as disclosed will be described'. The first step preliminaryjto use is to drill a plurality of holes in the side of the' pipe in the region y ly above the bolts22, 22@V and `23, but slighti'yH in a direction against the flow of the substance in the p1pe,a` narrow slot equivalent 1n ofthe pipe 1.0fis cut.

The gasket 26 is then placed in position over the slot and the gasket clamp 27/ and Ushaped bolt 28 secured loosely in position. The sector 11 is then grasped by the extern sion portion 14 and inserted through the slots in the clamp 27 andl the Vgasket 26', and inserted into position in the pipe 10;

The sector12 is then similarly placed in position vby graspingv it by the extension portion15i Next the wedge portion 13 is forced'down between the-two sectors 11 and 12 by driving or otherwise. This causes a` spreading of the three members named so that they closely engage the pipe 10k aroundits enti-re interior. `The 1 sizeof the sectors 1.1 and 12, Y andv wedge member 13Tv being The nuts 29 arej then tightened, causing la l flattening ofthe gasket 26 which will result iii a filling of the intersticesV around Vthe, opening inl the pipe, diminishing the flow of gases or other substance therethrough. By proper application, a stopper made as shown in the drawing can be usedl` vtoy obtain a complete closure in al pipe line. close fit may'be'obtainedl that a complete stoppage ofthe flow of a substance ythrough the pipe and avoidance of alll'lealiingtherefrom may be effected. c

Y The pipe stopperI herein described can be employed tofcheck the How vof any kind of substances either in liquid? or in a gaseous Such a form,"or in fact, to halt the'vflow of any kind I claim is newand Idesirev to procure by Letters Patent of the United States is: Y

1. A pipe stopper designed to be inserted through an opening provided in a pipe, said pipe stopper including preformed'rigid segments designed to grip the interior surface of the pipe and having handle portions vadapted to extend outwardly of said opening, and means for causing a separation oi said segments to increase the closeness of association between the segments yand the interior surface of the pipe.

2. A pipe stopper designed to be inserted through an opening provided in a pipe, said pipe stopper including a pair otpreformed rigid segments designed to be inserted through said opening and having handle portions extending outwardly thereof, and a wedge-shaped member' designed to be inserted between said segments to force said segments apart, and having means for aligning said segments therewith, the segments having a periphery corresponding to the internal wall of the pipe.

3. A pipe stopper as described in claim 2, and wherein the outer edge of said segments is faced with-a deformable material.

4L. A pipe closure comprising three'members, two of said members having deformable edges of substantially the configuration of the interior of the pipe in which used, and

f the third a deformable end and edges cooperating with the other members to hold said members in alignment and provide av vance of said closure members and forming ahsupportV about which the material in said pipe may readily iow but facilitating the positioningv of said closure members.

HOWARD L. GENTRY. 

